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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29085414">i'm not spending any time wasting tonight on you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisylincs/pseuds/daisylincs'>daisylincs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And Kick Ward's Ass, Daisy Johnson Is Not A Damsel In Distress, Episode: s03e08 Many Heads One Tale, F/M, Grant Ward Sucks, Kidnapping, Lincoln Campbell Is A Good Boyfriend, Lincoln and Daisy got to confront Ward!, Mission Fic, Together They're Badass, WARNING for minor depictions of violence, what if...</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:22:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29085414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisylincs/pseuds/daisylincs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ward's plan to cut off the head of SHIELD is to capture his favoured Inhuman and lure him into a trap using her. But it doesn't work out quite like that - instead of coming personally, Coulson sends in Daisy's boyfriend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Agents of SHIELD Team &amp; Lincoln Campbell, Agents of SHIELD Team &amp; Skye | Daisy Johnson, Lincoln Campbell &amp; Skye | Daisy Johnson &amp; Grant Ward, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson &amp; Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson &amp; Grant Ward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>January Mission</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i'm not spending any time wasting tonight on you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey, guys 🤗 So I actually have quite an interesting story with this fic - despite me posting it in the year of 2021, it's actually one of the first (the very second, actually, I believe) fics I finished for Agents of SHIELD, way back in March/April of last year when I started binging the show. Now, at this point, I hadn't written anything creative since I passed my A Level English, but Agents of SHIELD and its incredible characters just <i>inspired</i> something in me, and before I even really knew what was happening, I had written three full fics in the space of a couple of nights.</p><p>Now, back in those days, I was a wee bit too shy to post my work online - I only started doing <i>that</i> in May of 2020, and once I had gotten a little more in-practice. And thanks to all those practicing, the original three fics I wrote in my splurge of inspiration lay completely forgotten in my GDocs for months... until yesterday, when, in a state of mild panic and guilt, I realised that I had forgotten completely about the January mission of the AoS winter server. </p><p>I felt TERRIBLE, but I also had no time, so I hunted desperately through my WIPs to see if there wasn't something I could repurpose to fill the challenge's prompts - a fic where one of the team members gets kidnapped. And then, in full-dramatic déjà vu style, I saw and remembered about this fic.</p><p>And what you're about to see is... EXACTLY what I wrote in March of 2020, with only the most minor of spelling and grammar edits made. I'm quite aware that this isn't my best fic, but it's not as if it's <i>terrible</i>, lol - and, anyway, I think it's very interesting to put it out there as a kind of comparison to see how much my writing has changed and improved from first-time-in-eight-years-inspiration-spree-March-2020 to... well, now xD. </p><p>To give a little bit of context as to where I was at when writing it - I was in a nice middle of my binge with Season 3, and then it occurred to me, one late night (no I can't explain my brain either) that Ward never found out Daisy changed her name. Also - and a lot more pressingly - Daisy never got to quake Ward's Nazi ass into a wall!!</p><p>And, I don't know about any of you, but seeing Daisy send him flying right across the room would have been the most satisfying thing in the world. So, as one does in fanfiction, I invented a way for exactly that to happen. </p><p>Remember that arc in season 3 where Ward and Malick wanted to "cut off the head of SHIELD?" My memory of season 3 is rusty nowadays, but I think that's when he decided to kill Rosalind to hurt Coulson, and hopefully push him into making a mistake. Or... something like that. Anyway, in this fic, I decided that instead of going for Ros, Ward goes for <i>Daisy,</i> and decides to kidnap her and hold her until Coulson will come to him.</p><p>The reason for my Choose Not To Use Warnings on this is because I'm honestly not sure if this fits into Graphic Depictions of Violence - I don't THINK so, but then again, there's definitely not NO violence. So I'm rather just playing it safe, and warning you here that while there IS a torture scene in here, it's nothing graphic... and, because it's me, there's a happy ending, too. Eventually :D </p><p>So, yeah! I hope you enjoy this glimpse into where I started, AoS-wise, and just maybe feel a little bit of satisfaction for the Ward-yeeting I encouraged too, lol. And, my friends in the winter server - here's my official contribution to our January mission! Hopefully the rescue in here is one step towards the rescue <i>we</i> need ;)</p><p>Title from Same Old Love by Selena Gomez.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Malick steepled his fingers and frowned across the table at Ward, who suppressed a twinge of dislike for the man, reminding himself that Malick was a valuable ally.</p><p>"Remind me," Malick said at last, "why you think this plan will work."</p><p><em>Patience, </em>Ward told himself, <em>will be rewarded. </em>"Because Coulson has a weak spot for Skye," he said for the seventh time in seven minutes.</p><p>Malick regarded him sceptically. "So you say. But what director would put himself in harm's way for one agent?"</p><p>"Coulson," Ward said without a moment's hesitation. "Skye is his biggest weakness. He'd do anything to keep her safe."</p><p>Malick still looked unconvinced. "Maybe, but this Johnson -" </p><p>"Skye," Ward supplied. </p><p>"- is an Inhuman, and a powerful one at that. Even if we could capture her, we have no way of safely containing her."</p><p>Ward let a cruel smile spread across his face. "Don't you worry about that," he said. "I know exactly what to do."</p><p>//</p><p>Daniel Brett, Ward's best sniper, narrowed one eye against the glare of the sun and waited with cold patience. Careful searches into the local CCTV surveillance systems had revealed a pattern: the Inhuman Johnson arrived at the SHIELD supply store in a standard black SHIELD SUV at precisely eight-thirty every second Monday. She spent exactly twenty minutes in the store, then exited loaded with two boxes of supplies for the next week.</p><p>Brett allowed himself a grim smile. Twenty minutes was plenty of time.</p><p>Exactly on time, the SHIELD SUV arrived in the parking lot, pulling up smoothly in front of the supply store. Johnson exited the car, pausing to give her surroundings a cursory sweep, then entered the store with a warm smile as she recognised the owner.</p><p>Brett shook his head slightly. <em>Routine makes you sloppy. </em>Johnson should have taken longer on her scan of the surroundings - she had completely missed the two HYDRA vans camped out on the sides of the parking lot.</p><p>"Go," Brett instructed his teams. He watched as two HYDRA tac teams left the cars, surrounded the SHIELD SUV, and neutralised all the agents inside, all before the SHIELD drivers had even processed what was happening.</p><p>Quick, brutal and efficient. And most importantly, completely unnoticeable.</p><p>When Johnson exited the building, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, and proceeded as usual to her SUV. But as soon as her hand touched the door, Brett took his shot.</p><p>Johnson didn't even have time to cry out in alarm - she was unconscious before she hit the ground. Brett lowered his gun, allowing himself a small, tight smile.</p><p>"Get the Inhuman," he told his team. His agents obeyed at once, securing Johnson in the back of their van and hooking her up to the sedative feed the Director had specially ordered.</p><p>Johnson was an incredibly dangerous Inhuman, yes. But not even she was a threat when she couldn't wake up.</p><p>When the tac teams had wiped all the CCTV cameras and towed the SHIELD SUV away, Brett took a last look around the area. There wasn't so much a brick out of place to show what had happened.</p><p>Brett gave a curt nod and turned his back on the scene. "Phase one complete, Director," he said into his comm.</p><p>//</p><p>Daisy's vision swam in and out of focus as she struggled to open her eyes. Her head pounded, and she felt dizzy and nauseous when she moved so much as a finger.</p><p>"Wha..." she croaked, fighting to keep her eyes open.</p><p>A face swam into focus in front of her, cruel smile in place. Daisy sucked in a sharp breath, half-wishing her vision had stayed black.</p><p>"Hello, Skye," said Grant Ward.</p><p>"It's Daisy," she snapped. Or tried to, anyway. What came out of her mouth was something more like "ifsh fshaishy."</p><p>Ward looked amused. "Yes, that would be the inhibitors."</p><p>She must have looked confused, because Ward said, putting on a mock-concerned expression that made her want to punch him in the face, "Oh, surely you haven't forgotten?" </p><p>He shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. "Simmons put <em>so</em> much effort into designing these gloves."</p><p>Daisy felt as if her blood had turned to ice. She didn't need to look down to confirm her fears - when she tried to tune in to the vibrations around her, all that came back was a dull, useless buzzing and a hellish pounding in her head.</p><p>Her tongue felt thick and stupid in her mouth as she tried to force out words. "Wha... Wha' do you <em>want </em>wi' me?" she managed after an unfair amount of struggle.</p><p>Ward gave her a patronising smile. "Don't worry, Skye, I won't hurt you." He reached out to caress her cheek, and she jerked away, snarling.</p><p>Ward withdrew his hand, chuckling. "Still so spirited."</p><p>If she had had her powers, he would have been blasted against the far wall, his atoms shaken up a little for good measure.</p><p>But as it was, Daisy could just glare.</p><p>She did that with as much venom as Inhumanly possible, though.</p><p>Ward laughed again. <em>God, </em>she wanted to punch him.</p><p>"That glare was almost as vicious as one of May's," he said with a mocking smile. "Have you been practicing that, too?"</p><p>"When the team comes to get me, they are going to <em>destroy </em>you," she said, straining to sit up. But her muscles were still too weak to hold her up, and the cuffs on her wrists prevented most movement anyway.</p><p>Ward chuckled. "Mm, I doubt that."</p><p>Daisy sneered at him, nodding at her surroundings. A small room at the top floor of some industrial building, completely bare except for the cot she was cuffed to. "Not the most defensible location," she said. "You don't stand a chance against us, no matter how many men you've got."</p><p>"It's just me," Ward said with a small shrug.</p><p>Daisy laughed incredulously. "Well, then you're screwed! After your little stunt with Dr Garner, May will shoot you first chance she gets."</p><p>"Then it's a good thing she won't get that chance," Ward said.</p><p>Daisy leaned her head back to look at him. If she had been able to, she would have folded her arms. "I'd like to see you try and stop May when she's out for blood."</p><p>Ward's unfazed smile was beginning to unsettle her. "I won't have to," he said.</p><p>Daisy was starting to lose patience. "You're going to have to explain that, because there is no <em>way </em>the team's not coming after me."</p><p>Despite the situation, she got a little warm glow in her stomach as she said the words. She had people, people who cared enough about her to come after her no matter what.</p><p>Ward nodded. "Oh, you're completely right. They'll come get you the moment they know where you are."</p><p>"My job," he said, standing up to pace a slow circle around her cot, "is to ensure that they send just one person."</p><p>Daisy scoffed. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."</p><p>"Really?" Ward asked quietly, and something about his expression sent warning bells ringing in her head. <em>Danger! Danger!</em></p><p>"Really," she asserted with more confidence than she felt.</p><p>"Even if your life is forfeit if they don't?"</p><p>Daisy jerked against her cuffs. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Ward turned to smile at her. She had never seen him look more evil. "If they send in more than one person to get you, I'll kill you."</p><p>She slumped back against the metal frame of the cot, closing her eyes for a second. She knew Coulson too well - faced with a choice like that, he wouldn't dare risk her. He'd send in one person. </p><p>Ward smiled coldly, as if he had followed her thought process. "Not so confident anymore, are you?"</p><p>"Why don't you just kill me?" she demanded. "You clearly want to hurt Coulson badly enough."</p><p>"You're right, I do," he said. "But I'd much prefer to see the pain on Coulson's face myself."</p><p>"You want <em>Coulson </em>to come get me," she realised with a sinking feeling of dread deep in her stomach.</p><p>Ward smiled. "You always were a smart one."</p><p>Daisy's entire body shook with rage, and she knew that if she hadn't been wearing Jemma's special inhibitor gloves, the room would have been shaking right along with her.</p><p>"Bastard," she spat. </p><p>"Come, now," Ward chided. "You know just as well as I do that Coulson will do <em>anything </em>for you."</p><p>Rage twisted and boiled in her stomach, but she knew deep in her heart that he was right.</p><p>"And when he does," Ward continued, "I'll be waiting."</p><p>"I'm going to kill you!" Daisy shouted, flinging herself forward as far as the cuffs would let her.</p><p>"Now, now," Ward said, shaking his head in a mock-disappointed way. "It's not polite to yell threats like that at your hosts."</p><p>"I'm going to kill you!" she shouted again, even louder. Then, wanting to really<em> hurt </em>him the way he obviously wanted to hurt Coulson, she added, "Just like you killed your girlfriend."</p><p>Ward reeled back as though she had punched him. Daisy felt a dark kind of triumph at the obvious pain in his eyes. </p><p>But her triumph was short-lived.</p><p>Pure rage took over Ward's expression. "Don't you <em>dare," </em> he said in a choked voice, "talk about Kara."</p><p>Stepping forward, he drew back a fist and punched her in the jaw, viciously hard. </p><p>Daisy exhaled sharply as pain flared in her cheek, warm blood dripping from her lip. </p><p>Ward drew back and regarded her, letting out an unsteady breath. "I'm sorry. I said I wouldn't hurt you."</p><p>"Well, we both know what your promises are worth," she said bitterly, wincing at the taste of blood in her mouth. </p><p>Ward's eyes flashed. "Every promise I ever made to you, I kept."</p><p>"Except the one about basic loyalty! You lied to me, murdered Eric Koenig in cold blood, hurled Fitzsimmons into the sea, kidnapped me and gave me to that psycho Whitehall, and tortured and nearly killed Bobbi for fucking <em>closure</em>. Oh, and let's not forget you tried to kill Dr Garner just to get to May," she said, nearly yelling as she reached the end.</p><p>Ward's eyes turned cold. "All right, fine. You want me to be the villain? I'll be the villain."</p><p>Stepping close so that his face was inches from hers, he said, "I need you alive, Skye. But nobody said anything about unharmed."</p><p>Her automatic "it's Daisy" was lost in a hiss of pain as he punched her on the cheek. The force of the blow sent her reeling against the metal frame of the cot. </p><p>"In fact," Ward said, studying the blood on her face with twisted appreciation, "I think it adds a sense of urgency to the whole affair."</p><p>Daisy gritted her teeth. With the inhibitors coursing through her blood and the cuffs pinning her arms, there was nothing she could do except lie there and take it.</p><p>And hope against hope that Coulson wouldn't be stupid enough to come after her himself.</p><p>//</p><p>Lincoln was worried. It wasn't unlike Daisy to disappear for a few hours, especially not if she was stressed or worried, but a whole day <em>and </em>a night? That was different.</p><p>Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who thought so.</p><p>"Right," Coulson said, lowering the file he was holding to look around the assembled SHIELD team. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, Daisy has been missing since the supply trip yesterday. The supply van hasn't returned yet, either. I'm afraid we have to assume the worst."</p><p>"The worst?" Lincoln asked, a few stray sparks of electricity flickering on his fingertips. "What's that supposed to mean?"</p><p>Coulson's expression was heavy. "I'm afraid it means we have to assume she's either dead or being held prisoner in an unknown location."</p><p>The person standing next to Lincoln - somebody Hunter, if he was remembering right - jumped away with an "easy, mate" as Lincoln's hands sparked violently.</p><p>Coulson gave him a quick, concerned look. Lincoln concentrated, and the sparks disappeared - but it wasn't nearly as easy to get rid of the worry. </p><p>"Fitz has been trying to reach Daisy's phone, but it's been switched off," Coulson continued, returning his gaze to his notes. "Which is in some ways a good sign, because it means Daisy is most likely alive."</p><p>Fitz stepped forward, holding up a tablet. "This is the last place we tracked Daisy's phone before it went dark - two miles east of the supply store."</p><p>"I'm guessing east is not in the direction of the base," Lincoln said, half-wishing someone would disagree.</p><p>Unfortunately, no-one did. "Exactly the opposite," Fitz said grimly. "She should have been heading west, back to the base."</p><p>Lincoln muttered a curse under his breath. "And there's no good reason she would've gone east, is there?"</p><p>"No," Fitz said. "There's nothing there except a bunch of abandoned industrial -"</p><p>He stopped mid-sentence as he glanced down at his tablet again, mouth dropping open.</p><p>"Fitz?" Coulson asked, taking half a step towards him. "What is it?"</p><p>"Daisy's phone just came back online," Fitz said, flipping the tablet to show a red dot flashing on the screen.</p><p>The room gave a collective jolt as someone's phone started ringing, the Terminator ringtone jarring in the grim silence.</p><p>"That's mine," Coulson said, reaching into his jacket to silence the phone. "Sorry."</p><p>But he froze with the phone in his hands, the Terminator ringtone still blaring.</p><p>"It's Daisy," he said.</p><p>The simple statement sent a bolt of shock rippling through the room - quite literally, in Lincoln's case. He had stepped forward before he even consciously processed what he was doing, his focus tunneling to the phone in Coulson's hands.</p><p>Coulson swiped the screen and answered the call, his worry evident in how he slipped and used Daisy's old name. "Skye! Are you okay? We were so worried about -"</p><p>"Hello, Director," said a voice Lincoln didn't recognize, but which still made his blood run cold. </p><p>One glance around the room showed him that his intuition had been absolutely correct - Simmons had grabbed Fitz's hand, her face filling with a fury he hadn't imagined possible in the gentle scientist; Bobbi's hand went instinctively to her shoulder, and Hunter's hand to her; Mack's fists clenched and May's expression turned from impassive to absolute fury. </p><p>"Ward," Coulson said in the coldest tone Lincoln had ever heard.</p><p>Everyone's reactions made sense, now - even though Daisy had told him precious little about Ward, it was enough that he had gained a thorough hatred for the man.</p><p>"I'm sure you're all wondering how I got a hold of this phone," Ward said into the electric silence that gripped the SHIELD control room.</p><p>"Where is she?" Coulson interrupted, his voice sharp and dangerous.</p><p>"I could tell you," Ward said, sounding like he might even be sincere, "but it's somuch better to show you."</p><p>Coulson's phone buzzed as Ward converted to a video call. With a few taps of his fingers, Coulson projected the video feed onto the large screen against the wall so everyone could see.</p><p>Beside Lincoln, Hunter clenched his fists as Ward's face filled the screen. Ward gave them all a smile - which was ridiculous, since the feed was one-way and he couldn't even see them - and moved aside to show what was behind him.</p><p>Daisy lay chained to a metal cot against the far wall of an otherwise bare, cell-like room, her face a mess of blood and bruises. She lay completely still, her body limp and unresponsive, the slow rise and fall of her chest and the occasional flutter of her eyelashes the only sign that she was alive.</p><p>Lincoln stretched out a hand to brush against the image of her face, battered and bloodstained. The overhead lights flickered in and out as he released an unsteady breath.</p><p>From across the room, May gave him a sharp look. He gave her a small, reluctant nod - she was right; now was not the time to let his emotions run rampant.</p><p>Beside Fitz, Simmons made an dismayed little choking noise. "The gloves," she said, burying her face in her hands. "She's wearing the inhibitor gloves I designed right after her transition."</p><p>Lincoln looked up sharply, and realised that the scientist was quite right. He had spent a fair amount of time studying these gloves in Afterlife, and they were definitely the ones Daisy was now wearing.</p><p>He cursed quietly. No wonder Daisy looked so pale.</p><p>"I was wondering why she didn't just, you know, quake him," Hunter said, folding his arms. "Yeah, that's really not good."</p><p>"Thank you, Hunter. So helpful," Bobbi said, rolling her eyes and elbowing him. But despite her exasperated tone, her eyes were fixed on Daisy and full of worry.</p><p>"What do you want, Ward?" Coulson asked the obvious question.</p><p>Ward's cruel smile filled the video feed again. "Me? Nothing. But Skye here would really like to be rescued."</p><p>"It's Daisy," Lincoln corrected automatically, but he doubted Ward heard.</p><p>"I'd like her to be rescued, too," Ward continued. "It would be such a shame to have to kill her."</p><p>Coulson's face was absolutely neutral. "What are your terms?"</p><p>Ward's chilling smile widened. "Send one person - just one - to rescue Skye."</p><p>"Yeah, that's not happening," Coulson said coolly. "We're a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them."</p><p>"I thought you'd say that," Ward said, his expression pure evil. Drawing a gun from his side pocket, he pointed it straight at Daisy's stomach. "If more than one person comes through that door, I will shoot her in the stomach. And this time, there won't be any GH325 to save her."</p><p>Lincoln felt as if he had been punched in the gut, and by the stricken look on his face, Coulson had it even worse. </p><p>"See you," Ward finished, and hung up, his smug smile freezing on the screen.</p><p>For a moment, there was absolute silence. Then several people spoke at once.</p><p>"It's a trap." (May.)</p><p>"We need to get Daisy away from that psycho." (Simmons.)</p><p>"I'll go, I've been wanting this rematch for a while." (Bobbi.)</p><p>"Absolutely not, love. You're not going anywhere near that bastard." (Hunter.)</p><p>"Daisy is the priority, we have to get to her." (Mack.)</p><p>Coulson clapped his hands sharply. "Enough! Bobbi, you are certainly not going -" Hunter looked immeasurably relieved - "May, neither are you, he'll be expecting that -" May scowled - "Mack, no offence, but you don't stand a chance against Ward -" Mack frowned but didn't argue - "and Fitzsimmons, there's no way I'm sending either of you in. The only logical choice is -"</p><p>"You can't, Phil," May interrupted, looking furious. "That's exactly what Ward wants. I'll go - at least I stand a chance of beating him."</p><p>"I'm not letting you risk yourself! Maybe it's what he wants, but I have an advantage he doesn't know about - my hand." He flexed his robotic hand in May's direction.</p><p>May looked incensed. "And how is that supposed to help if Ward decides to take a potshot at you? I'm going, and that's final."</p><p>Similar arguments were breaking out across the room as the team argued among themselves about who should be the one to go.</p><p>Lincoln took a deep breath and concentrated, gathering a ball of sizzling electricity in his palm. Raising his hand, he shot the ball of electricity straight up into the roof, where it exploded dramatically against the ceiling, sparks raining down on the team and lighting up the entire room.</p><p>When he was sure he had everyone's attention, Lincoln said simply, "I'm going."</p><p>For a beautiful moment, there was complete silence except for the crackle of the last few sparks.</p><p>Then -</p><p>"No way. You're not a tested field agent," Coulson said, shaking his head firmly.</p><p>"Ward is too dangerous," Bobbi said at the same time. </p><p>"Besides, you won't be able to stay focused and impersonal," Mack added, giving  Lincoln a warning look.</p><p>Lincoln felt a few sparks flickering on his fingers. "You're wasting time arguing. I'm going, it just makes sense."</p><p>To everyone's surprise, Lincoln's most of all, May gave a curt nod. "He's right."</p><p>Everyone, including Lincoln, turned to gape at her.</p><p>"It's unorthodox, but it makes sense," May said. "Lincoln's an Inhuman, which already gives him a massive advantage, and Ward won't recognise him."</p><p>"Besides," she added with a quelling look at Coulson, who had opened his mouth to argue, "his personal connection to Daisy means he will fight that much harder to get her back."</p><p><em>That's certainly true, </em>Lincoln thought wryly.</p><p>Coulson frowned at May. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's not a tested field agent."</p><p>"He's an Inhuman with full control over his powers," May countered.</p><p>"It's too much of a risk," Coulson disagreed. "We don't know what he's capable of."</p><p>Lincoln was starting to lose his temper. Every minute they wasted arguing was a minute longer Daisy had to spend with that murdering psychopath, having who-knows-what done to her.</p><p>Gathering another ball of electricity, he raised his hands threateningly. "Give me clearance to go after Daisy, or so help me I will take out every agent on this base and go whether you like it or not."</p><p>He didn't want to hurt Coulson or his people, but he meant the threat. Daisy was far, far more important to him than anyone here at SHIELD. </p><p>Coulson surveyed him with a cool, assessing gaze, his face painted in flickering blue light, and for a moment, Lincoln feared he might have to make good on his threat. </p><p>But then the Director nodded slowly. </p><p>"I still don't like it," Coulson said, "but I can see that you're just as worried about Daisy as I am. You're clear to go after her."</p><p>Lincoln closed his fist, releasing the ball of electricity with a soft sigh of relief. "Where is she?" he asked.</p><p>Fitz stepped forward, tablet om hand. "Her phone's signal is coming from the top floor of an abandoned industrial building in Willow street. From what Ward showed us, she's being held in one of the old offices."</p><p>Lincoln nodded. "Okay. So how long will it take me to get there?"</p><p>"Not so fast," May interrupted, walking towards him and looking as threatening as ever. "We need to get you ready first."</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Lincoln asked warily.</p><p>May's smile was deadly. "It means Ward is in for a nasty surprise."</p><p>//</p><p>Daisy lifted her head slowly from where she had been slumped against the metal cot and blinked to clear her vision. Ward's face swam into focus in front of her.</p><p>"Not long now," he assured her. "Coulson should be here in just a few minutes."</p><p>"You don't know it'll be him," she managed to snarl through a swollen lip.</p><p>Ward considered her. "No. It could be May. I don't mind."</p><p>Leaning in close to her, he whispered, "But I just have a feeling it'll be him."</p><p>Daisy jerked her head as far away from him as the cuffs would let her, his very presence making her nauseous. Or maybe that was the inhibitors. Ward was certainly revolting enough to make her sick, though.</p><p>Ward stepped back, his smile cold and cruel. "Let's wait and see, why don't we? I know you always liked surprises."</p><p>His callousness made her more furious than anything else - how <em>could </em>he act this casually at the thought of murdering someone who had once taken him in and given him a chance when no-one else would?</p><p>"Not your surprises," she growled, straining against her cuffs and shooting him the most hate-filled glare she could manage.</p><p>Ward shrugged, flashing her a cool smile. "You're getting one anyway."</p><p>Daisy flung herself forward as far as she could, then slumped miserably back against the cot. What she hated most was the <em>helplessness - </em>she was powerless to do anything other than lie here bleeding and watch as Ward murdered the man who she thought of as a father.</p><p>Tears prickled at her eyelids, but she refused to let them fall. She would <em>not </em>give Ward the satisfaction of seeing her cry.</p><p>Footsteps sounded, pounding up the stairs, impossibly loud in the empty building. Daisy closed her eyes.</p><p>The footsteps stopped at what she suspected to be the top of the stairs.</p><p>"Daisy!" a familiar voice called out. "Daisy, where are you?"</p><p>Daisy's blood turned to ice, and she felt like her entire body froze in incredulous horror. He couldn't be here! He could <em>not </em>be here. </p><p>Ward turned to her with a confused expression, gesturing with the gun in his hands. "That's not Coulson's voice. And why is he calling for Daisy?" </p><p>Ignoring him, Daisy flung herself against the restraints with new vigour. "Lincoln!" she shouted. "Lincoln, stay away, it's a trap!"</p><p>Ward stepped slowly away from the door, tucking his gun into his belt and tilting his head to one side to study her. "Lincoln, is it? Does he mean something to you?"</p><p>Daisy strained desperately against her cuffs. "Lincoln, NO!" she shouted as his footsteps approached the door, running now.</p><p>Ward folded his arms slowly and leaned against the wall, giving her a considering look. His gun, she noted in a desperate kind of relief, was still in his belt.</p><p>Lincoln burst through the door before she had time to think of anything else, freezing as soon as he saw her.</p><p>Daisy felt as though time slowed right down to a crawl as his eyes locked onto hers. </p><p>"Daisy," he said, breaking the spell and rushing over to her side. His warm hands brushed over her cheeks, fingers shaking slightly as he wiped away her blood. </p><p>"Lincoln," she breathed, reaching up to grab at his hands with her cuffed wrists. She pressed her forehead against his, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of safety that flooded through her at his presence.</p><p>No! No, she wasn't safe, and neither was he.</p><p>"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!" she gasped, her eyes snapping open to look at him in horror.</p><p>Lincoln's thumbs brushed gently over her cheeks. "Hey, hey. It's okay. It's going to be okay."</p><p>Daisy resisted the urge to melt into his touch, forcing herself to pull away. "No! Lincoln, no, you don't get it, it's a -"</p><p>"Trap," Ward finished for her, smile cold and cruel as he drew the gun from his belt and pointed it straight at Lincoln.</p><p>"I didn't expect Coulson to be so wise," he said, walking slowly towards them. "I was sure his reason would be overruled by his affection for this one." He gestured at Daisy with the gun. "But then again, maybe he has lost his reason. No good director would send in an inexperienced agent, let alone one with such an obvious attachment to the hostage."</p><p>Ward drew a mocking circle in the air with his gun, shaking his head in twisted enjoyment. "This is going to be far too easy."</p><p>"Oh, <em>really,"  </em>Lincoln said, drawing a small device from his pocket. Before Ward had time to react, he flung it at the ex-agent's leg, where it latched on and emitted a pulse of blue energy.</p><p>Lincoln smiled. "May and Fitz send their compliments."</p><p>Ward looked down. "Wha -"</p><p>The small device beeped, and with a fizzle of dying systems, Ward's special-issue HYDRA pistol - as well as every other weapon he had concealed on his body - was permanently deactivated.</p><p>“Fitz designed this device, with some input from May,” Lincoln said. “It sends a special signal across its host, deactivating any and all automatic weapons.”</p><p>Ward shook his head slowly, looking down at his now-useless gun. "You're not entirely useless, I give you that," he told Lincoln, sounding coolly impressed.</p><p>But then he dropped the gun as carelessly as though it was a piece of trash - which, Daisy supposed, it now was.</p><p>"Thing is," Ward said, a cold smile spreading across his face, "I don't need a gun to kill you."</p><p>Before Daisy had time to scream a warning, Ward attacked, pinning Lincoln's arms behind him with a brutal twist.</p><p>"Honestly," he said to Daisy, "I don't know what you see in him." Raising his fist, he flashed her a cold smile and prepared for the killing blow. </p><p>And that was when Ward's plan really failed.</p><p>Miniature lightning bolts of electricity crackled across Ward's chest and back, flinging him away from Lincoln and Daisy to land heavily against the far wall.</p><p>Ward rose slowly, his beard smoking slightly. He looked at Lincoln with new wariness. </p><p>"So you're an Inhuman," he said.</p><p>"Damn right," Lincoln said, gathering a ball of blue electricity in his palm. </p><p>Daisy couldn't resist. "Now do you understand what I see in him?"</p><p>Ward sneered. "I never thought you'd be a damsel in distress, needing your boyfriend to come rescue you. I thought there was more to you than that, Skye."</p><p>"It's Daisy," Daisy and Lincoln said at the same time.</p><p>Ward blinked. "What?"</p><p>"It's Daisy," she repeated. "I changed it."</p><p>She felt a deep satisfaction at the look of confusion on his face, but the rest of his words still nagged at her mind. </p><p>Lincoln turned around to look at her as though sensing something was wrong, understanding flashing in his gaze.</p><p>"You're an asshole," he informed Ward, turning back around. "What you did to Daisy - and I don't just mean today - is unforgivable. I could kill you for it."</p><p>The ball of electricity in Lincoln's hand flared dangerously as if to prove his point.</p><p>"But I won't," he said, closing his fist. "Because the thing is, Daisy doesn't need a knight in shining armour."</p><p>He smiled coldly. "She just needs a fair fight." </p><p>Stepping back, he tugged Jemma's special inhibitor gloves off Daisy's wrists in one fluid movement, flashing her a quick grin as he did so.</p><p>Daisy drew in a long, deep breath, closing her eyes and relishing the pure, deep satisfaction as the vibrations flooded back into her mind and through her body.</p><p>She opened her eyes slowly, concentrating on the particular vibrations of the cuffs on her wrists. With a quick mental tug, she shattered them into tiny pieces, sending the shards flying away from her body. </p><p>Daisy stood up slowly, a feeling of rightness resonating through her body as the vibrations hummed through her system. She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, opening her eyes and locking her gaze on Ward.</p><p>Ward had just managed to struggle to his feet, small sparks of Lincoln's electricity still dancing across his chest, and was trying to make a break for it through the open door.</p><p>Daisy raised her hand and blasted him with a shockwave, lifting him a full metre into the air before sending him crashing to the floor.</p><p>"That felt good," she said, flexing her fingers.</p><p>She walked slowly across the room to stand over Ward, relishing the flash of fear in his eyes as she stood over him. </p><p>"There's so much I want to say to you," she told him. "So much I want to do to you."</p><p>She closed her eyes for a second, letting the vibrations of the molecules around her flood her mind. Letting herself feel the warm buzz of Lincoln's energy, and how small and cold Ward appeared in comparison.</p><p>Daisy opened her eyes and looked down at the face of the man she hated more than anyone else on the planet. </p><p>"But the thing is," she said, "you're not worth it."</p><p>She turned her back on him and walked back into Lincoln's arms, resting her forehead against his and smiling softly up at him.</p><p>Lincoln was her future now. Ward was her past, and it was high time to let go of it. </p><p>Behind her, Ward staggered to his feet. "You're such a fool," he snarled. "You really think I'd just let you walk away?"</p><p>He wrenched a metal bar from the wall and charged at them, his expression twisted with pain and loss and hatred.</p><p>Daisy and Lincoln turned around as one, hitting him with the combined force of a shockwave and a bolt of electricity. Ward was blasted through the door, flying across the corridor and crashing down the stairs.</p><p>"He's the fool," Daisy said quite calmly. "I mean, trying to take on two angry Inhumans with a metal pole? That's spectacularly stupid."</p><p>"Revenge drove him mad," Lincoln said, reaching out to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. </p><p>She gave an exhausted half-smile and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes and letting herself feel truly safe for the first time that day. </p><p>Then Lincoln said, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"</p><p>Daisy reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers with his. "Of course I am. I've got you."</p><p>"Yeah," Lincoln said, his eyes soft as he looked at her. "You do. Now let's get you to the med-bay, all right? Those cuts could use proper treatment, and I'm sure everyone's been worried sick."</p><p>Daisy smiled, resting her head against his shoulder as they walked out of the room and back to their friends, leaving the past behind them for good.</p>
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